Roy “Big Country” Nelson won The Ultimate Fighter’s tenth season and became a familiar UFC heavyweight. This guide covers four documented UFC results from 2009–2014. It is a dated career selection, not a complete professional record or a claim about his current fighting status.
The TUF 10 breakthrough
Nelson beat Brendan Schaub in the live finale in Las Vegas on 5 December 2009. The official event record lists a first-round KO/TKO at 3:45. UFC’s contemporary report by Thomas Gerbasi identifies the victory as Nelson’s TUF season-ten title win.
Keep the tournament and the promotion’s heavyweight championship separate when reading that achievement. A reality-series tournament win does not by itself describe every title a fighter held or every later career result.
Four results to put beside the highlights
| Date and event | Opponent | Nelson’s result |
|---|---|---|
| 5 December 2009, TUF 10 Finale | Brendan Schaub | Won, KO/TKO, round 1, 3:45 |
| 28 May 2011, UFC 130 | Frank Mir | Lost, unanimous decision after three rounds |
| 29 October 2011, UFC 137 | Mirko Cro Cop | Won, stoppage by strikes, round 3, 1:30 |
| 11 April 2014, Nogueira vs Nelson | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | Won, stoppage by strikes, round 1, 3:37 |
The Mir result is supported by UFC’s UFC 130 report, which records scores of 30–27, 30–27 and 30–26 for Mir. The other two results come from UFC’s UFC 137 report and 11 April 2014 report.
How to use this selection
Start a replay with the result hidden and note the exchange that leads to a finish, or the repeated actions over a full round. Then compare your notes with the contemporary report. Distinguish the reporter’s description from your own interpretation.
The Mir bout also prevents a highlights-only account from becoming a false unbeaten narrative. The two later stoppages document particular wins; they do not prove an “all-time hardest puncher” ranking. For a structured way to record what happens, use our MMA styles and observation worksheet.
Correction and scope
The earlier version incorrectly claimed Nelson knocked out Frank Mir with a spinning backfist in January 2012. That claim has been removed: the documented UFC meeting above was a decision win for Mir in May 2011. Unverified career totals, grappling credentials and superlative rankings have also been removed.
Reviewed 19 October 2026 against the linked primary reports. Dates identify the events, rather than the publication dates of the reports. For another distinction between a TUF tournament and its live finale, read our TUF 1 results guide.